Charlie Kirk, a well-known political spokesperson and influencer, was shot during his “American Comeback Tour” on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. The news quickly spread online, and many videos of the incident traveled across social media platforms. Many Berkeley High School students were exposed to the video during school hours — some involuntarily — and several described it as difficult to watch.
Kirk was shot around 12:20 p.m., just before BHS’s lunch period ended. As the news was broken for many in the middle of class, it caused a variety of outbursts and reactions. While the video circulated across the internet, it drew a range of emotional responses.
“Literally, my jaw dropped, and it made me feel so disgusted and horrified,” Sofia Lopez Caro, a BHS sophomore, said, “it made me think that these things can happen so randomly, and how in the U.S., gun violence is huge and can affect anyone.”
Many students ended up watching the video involuntarily, or only after someone offered to show them. And some students were caught off guard by the graphic nature of the video after being shown the clip. BHS junior Kato Kiggundu’s friend showed him the video during class. “It kind of took me out for a few minutes — it was low-key kind of gruesome,” Kiggundu said.
After hearing about the incident from another teacher, BIHS history teacher Ross Parker said he felt that it would be important to address it in class. He set aside time at the end of his class to lay out the facts and then opened up discussion for the students.
Parker talked to his class about how he believes in the importance of having the ability to disagree on issues without involving violence. He said that the internet has made it increasingly easy to “get into an echo chamber and demonize other people.”
Social media added to the quick spread of the news. “I saw the video, it got sent to me on Instagram and I was very taken aback. It was really horrible, and very gruesome,” BHS freshman Lev Brysk said, “I don’t believe anyone should be murdered like that in front of their family.”
Some students did not feel strongly affected by the incident. “Honestly, it doesn’t really impact my life very much ... but I don’t think anybody deserves to die under any circumstances,” BHS freshman May’a Hawkins said.
Following Kirk’s death, the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson held a moment of silence honoring Kirk, and on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, the Senate issued a national day of remembrance for Kirk on Oct. 14.
Gabriel Miller, a BHS senior, expressed his opinions on the governments responses. “I definitely think it’s too much ... He was a podcaster. He had a lot of influence. He had a big following of people. But, I mean, I don’t see the U.S. government doing the same stuff for other people,” he said.
President Trump issued a proclamation on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, stating that all US flags were to be flown at half staff in the White House, all military buildings, federal buildings in D.C., and across the U.S. and its territories to honor Kirk.
BHS junior Alexander Chariyasatit shared his thoughts. “It shouldn’t have happened. But at the same time, that same day there was a school shooting and kids also died ... There should be some consistency. If we’re respecting one person’s death, why are we not respecting every person’s?” He also acknowledged the importance of protecting open dialogue and debate. “Being able to speak your mind and being able to get opinions out is part of democracy, and you need to have some kind of opposing views to have a productive dialogue,” he said.
Some people were upset about how the public has been reacting to the assassination.
Lucy Fisch, a junior at BHS, feels upset by the issue but also concerned by how much the public is reacting to it. “Truly, there’s much worse things going on than just one guy. I mean, not to say that one death is less important than another, but (gun violence) has been going on for so long,” Fisch said, “so many other things are happening every single day ... why now are we fixating on it?”
BHS freshman Ataji Albert feels particularly upset with the situation, especially seeing how much attention it is getting and how Kirk is being honored. “Nobody cares about Black people or when it comes to a Black person getting shot, but everyone cares about a racist white man when it comes to him getting shot. It’s disgusting and just another example of racism and how messed up America is,” Albert said.
“I think at the end of the day, we should just talk about this stuff,” Parker said. He believes that open conversation about issues like these are beneficial for students, and encourages his students to integrate themselves into different settings, where they might be exposed to a wider range of beliefs.
The death of Charlie Kirk and the circulation of the video has impacted many students at BHS, leaving mixed reactions among many. As for now, the incident has sparked conversations around not only Kirk, but gun violence, government responses, and how social media shapes the ways students experience and receive national news.